3 New Tips From A French Hair Pro

February 5, 2017

I’ve not had a more enlightening experience at the hairdresser than when I visited Emmanuel Faipoux, from emmanuel f. salon in Hong Kong. During the threehoursI spent with himcoloringand cutting my hair (watch the live broadcast on Periscope), I had a chance to learn some pretty darn interesting things about human hair, maintenance and how to keep our luscious locks looking gorgeous for a lifetime.

Hong Kong is a city of diverse cultures, and everyday Emmanuel gets to treat hair from a wide variety of ethnicities, from western to Asian and African. Here are some of the tips I learned from an incrediblyknowledgeablegentleman who has been in the hairdressing business for over 30 years. The guy knows hair!

3 TIPS FOR HEALTHY HAIR

TIP 1 – Reconsider the Ponytail Look

Hair is the fastest growing tissue in the body, yet despite this, some of us still don’t seem to produce enough. The occurrence of weak, frizzy and damaged hair can be due to anything from stress to poor maintenance.

Emmanuel’s first tip is to stop wearing ponytails! Not only does a ponytail yank hair from the roots, but it is a style that covers the scalp, thus depriving it of the sun. “Sunlight allows your body to produce Vitamin D and this, in turn, stimulates the growth of your hair and prevents hair loss.”, says Emmanuel.

Emmanuel notes that even the natural movement of hair is important for stimulating follicles, which is necessary for growth. The solution? – Get a good haircut, so you don’t need to put your hair in a ponytail. If you want to do a bit of rearranging when exercising or reading, simply clip your bangs back.

If you are still not convinced that a ponytail can cause inflammation around the follicles, damaging hair and robbing it of the chance to grow, check out what Dr. Ogunleye, a dermatologist and assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania has to say about this.

TIP 2 – Stop Eating Garbage

Emmanuel and his wife Severin, also a cutting edge hairdresser, are both plant-based enthusiasts who understand the value of good nutrition, particularly after a wake-up call when Emmanuel had to battle a bout of cancer.

Your hair is approximately 92% – 97% protein, so it makes sense to eat foods that are rich in protein to help with hair loss, split ends, dandruff, hair growth and to bring back shine. Carnivores can add meat, fish, eggs and cheese to their diets, while vegans can count on beans, oats, nuts, tofu, sprouts and seeds to improve the health of their hair. Healthy lean proteins are also rich in nutrients, which contribute to the well-being and longevity of your hair.

The nutrients we consume help to fortify the hair follicles and the scalp. Unhealthy, processed foods can damage your hair, so not only is it important to eat the right things, but it’s also just as important to cut out foods that are contributing to poor hair health.

Emmanuel recommends investing in a quality supplement, specially formulated for hair, skin and nails. There are many different types of supplements available, so you need to take care when choosing the right one.

Most hair supplements are turbocharged with ingredients, such as horsetail, biotin, iodine and zinc. “Zinc is necessary to produce carotene in the body, which boosts hair growth,” says beauty and health coach Jolene Hart. “Bamboo and horsetail are sources of silica, which builds hair strength and elasticity. It also has vitamins A and C, which are general beauty vitamins great for repair and renewal.”

I personally like Image HNS to get all the essential micronutrients I need for strong hair, nails and skin and can wholeheartedly recommend it.

TIP 3 – Learn How to Use Quality Hair Care Products

The impact of Emmanuel’s battle with cancer led to him closely examining the dangers of chemicals inhair careproducts, and because of this, his salon is based on natural and organic ingredients.

Most shampoos and conditioners are a symphonyof chemicals, including cleaning agents, thickeners and preservatives to give you a temporary fix. What is the price we pay for this? The short term gains certainly do not outweigh the long-lasting, holistic benefits of healthier and more natural solutions.

Choose your hair care products as you would your food.Look at the ingredients list and select the ones that have the shortest number of components. Also, avoid sulfates – this ingredient makes a generous amount of thick foam, which gives us a false impression that we’re enjoying a deep cleaning. Natural shampoos actually foam very little, or not at all, but they are still cleaning. Sulfate or sulfate free formulas both strip the hair of natural oils, so always be sure to condition afterwards. Don’t let all this discourage you, wash your hair and see how it responds afterwards.

Emmanuel realizes that more natural products come at a higher price, so he makes sure to enlighten his clients on how to use them. It is a pity to let an expensive,high-gradeshampoo go to waste by only letting it sit for a minute. Leave conditioners for at least 5 minutes and give hair masks 20 minutes or longer. Make sure to allow time for the product to penetrate into the scalp so that it can do its job. Otherwise, it’s like throwing money down the toilet.

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Emmanuel f. Salon is a fully certified organic based hair salon and spa located in the heart of Hong Kong offering state of the art yet plant-based techniques and products for hair, makeup, skincare, signature facials, mind-blowing massages, slimming treatments and waxing all in the most luxurious conditions with state of the art techniques. Only organic products are used in the salon including organic pine seed wax from France and Phyt’s – a brand that exists for over 50 years in France with the purest levels of ingredients. Follow on Instagram and Facebook. Special offer until March 2017! Follow emmanuelfhk on Instagram then book your next appointment mentioning “Zora The Explorer” for a 10% discount.

ABOUT EMMANUEL FAIPOUX – At only 26 years old Emanuel was already a manager and artistic director at the famous Jacques Dessange hair salon in Paris. He gained international experience while working in Europe, America and Asia, which helped him develop a better understanding of a variety of hair types, cultures and different perspectives.

With over 30 years experience in the fashion and beauty industry, Emmanuel has been creating unique and glamorous personal styles while working on fashion shows, high profile events and photo shoots for both hair collections and print media.

As a personal image consultant, Emmanuel has created the looks for Jonathan Wong, a famous Hong Kong pop star, as well as for the retailing team of GRAFF in Asia. He has kept the well-known French actress Isabelle Huppert looking glamorous for a week stay in Hong Kong while hosting and judging the Hong Kong Film Festival Awards in Macau.

Emmanuel’s passion and perfectionismhavefuelled the development of unique techniques, knowledge and skills, and continually drives him to tailor-make images and hair styles for his happy clients,every day.

“Beauty is more than just looking good; it is about bringing out the best in everyone, systematically increasing their confidence while creating a positive force to live their life to the fullest.” – Emmanuel

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